Rita's Recipes are included each week in Ron Wilson's 'In the Garden' email newsletter.

Rita Heikenfeld, CCP:  Macy’s Regional Culinary Professional / Herbalist / Author / Local TV
and Radio Cooking Expert / Adjunct Professor U.C. Clermont College / Community Press Papers
 

Sun Cooked Strawberry Preserves
 
  “Cooking” in the sun preserves vitamins and turns the berries into a delicious jam. Try adding a few sprigs of lavender, lemon verbena or rose geranium to the berries as they “cook” for a lovely aroma to the jam. 

Here's what you'll need: 
1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled and cut in half or thick slices,
1 pound sugar,
1/2 cup or so of water. 

Boil water and sugar for a few minutes, adding a bit more water (not too much) if necessary to make a real thick syrup.   Add berries and simmer until they start to lose color and shrink a little.  Pour onto rimmed cookie sheets.   Set in sun for several days and bring in at night or if it rains.  When berries are plump and the syrup has jelled, pack into jars.  Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 6 months.  If insects are a problem while they are “cooking” in the sun, cover with cheesecloth.   
  • Why this recipe is good for you:
  • The benefits of strawberries:
  • Excellent sources of vitamin C
  • Good source of folate and potassium
  • Low in calories; high in fiber
  • Provide anti-cancer bioflavonoids
  • Onions and chives are good for your cardiovascular system
  • Poppy seeds calm your tummy

More recipes, etc. on Rita's web site: www.abouteating.com

 
 

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